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This Kenwood Excelon receiver keeps you hooked up to your PANDORA® stations. Connect your iPhone to the receiver's USB port, and use the receiver's controls to navigate your way through your favorite stations. You'll enjoy outstanding control, including displays of artist, album, and song information on the receiver's screen, along with the ability to give your songs a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down."

You spend a lot of time in your car, so why settle for less when you're buying a car stereo? The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 CD receiver offers a stunning display with variable color selection, Bluetooth® hands-free calling, and built-in HD Radio™ reception. Factor in PANDORA® Internet radio connectivity and a 2-year warranty, and there's a lot to like.

Plug into PANDORA®

This Kenwood Excelon receiver keeps you hooked up to your PANDORA® stations. Connect your iPhone to the receiver's USB port, and use the receiver's controls to navigate your way through your favorite stations. You'll enjoy outstanding control, including displays of artist, album, and song information on the receiver's screen, along with the ability to give your songs a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down."

Easy iPod controls

You can use the receiver's direct iPod controls to access your playlists and albums, while the multi-line display shows off your artist and song info in clear detail. Grab the big jog dial and skip through your files in 10% jumps, or search alphabetically — either way, you'll get there fast. Plus, your passengers can use the iPod's controls to switch songs if you want to concentrate on the drive.

Bluetooth lets you focus on the road

Distracted driving is a safety hazard. When a call comes in to your mobile phone, the KDC-X995 will mute the music and allow you to take the call without taking your hands off the wheel — it's a safer, more convenient way to stay in touch on the highway.

Superior radio sound

HD Radio stations offer superior sound quality on their AM/FM broadcasts and additional programming on secondary channels. The KDC-X995's built-in HD Radio tuner lets you access that improved sound and extra programming, as well as tag tunes for future purchase at the iTunes® store.

Beautiful, realistic sound

Kenwood's Sound Excellence feature offers audio enhancements designed to give you the best possible listening experience in your vehicle. Highway Sound optimizes your music so you can hear more of the details over the road noise, while the Supreme+ feature enhances the frequencies in your digital files that get lost during compression. You can adjust the timing of your front and rear speakers so it strengthens your music's focus.

You can use the Digital E's crossover feature to trim some of the lows out of your front and rear speakers, and adjust the low frequencies going to a sub, so your system plays more efficiently. The three sets of preamp outputs send a strong 4-volt signal to your amps for superior sound quality and lower noise levels.

Want to keep your car's steering wheel audio controls?
In most vehicles, you can use an adapter to connect your vehicle's steering wheel controls to this Kenwood stereo. Connect a few wires, then program the adapter for your particular car and the Kenwood, and you'll retain the convenience of your steering wheel controls.

Note: Bluetooth compatibility of this device may vary, depending on your phone and service provider.

Note: If you're going to use your iPod with this receiver, be sure to check "Details" for specific iPod model compatibility with this receiver or its optional iPod adapter.

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 Reviews

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

Only downside is seeing display in the daytime. Its now in the second vehicle self installed I've had this deck for close to 9 years. People always compliment me on the sound.

Pros:Sound quality,easy expansion capability

Cons:Dim daylight display

0 of 0 found this helpful

Was Ok While Lasted

WallyHojo from Seattle, WA on 12/30/2013

Lasted just over two years, how convenient for me. During its last legs, first the receiver wouldn't eject the CD. Second it kept randomly shutting itself off. Lastly it came to the point where the receiver didn't even turn on. The wiring was fine, no blown fuses. Might have had something to do with the cold.

Pros:Sound quality options

Cons:Display screen sucked in the sun.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Disappointed

Sound quality was pretty good, but that's about it. Worked fine until it got cold outside. The radio tuner would load up and you could switch between presets, but no sound was output. You had to wait until the unit warmed up and then shut off the car and restart it to get it to work, simply powering the unit off and back on with the power button would not work. Sent in to get the unit repaired, and the issue was still there. They claimed that they "repaired connections" in faceplate. The unit also developed poor connection between faceplate and rear of unit, where the screen would turn off and reset when using the controls on the front of the unit.

Pros:Sound quality.

Cons:Reliability, menu structure is idiotic, and display is not bright enough for daytime use. Washes out very easily.

0 of 0 found this helpful

nice but expensive

This is a great receiver that is packed with features. It was very easy to install and set up. Overall I'm very happy with the purchase. It's a bit expensive but I got a refurbished one for cheaper.
I love the Amp section and the DSP features a very handy but one thing I don't understand is how come you may have just one or the other. If you want DSP crossover you need to bypass the amps. If you want to amps you can't use the onboard DSP. It seems this "feature" is shared across all car receives so it's not just singling out this unit.

Pros:- The sound quality is superb.
- Lots of features.
- useful DSP

Cons:- Navigating the unit is really throwing me off. For example if you want to recall a radio station you have to go to Menu/Stored Radios, then select from a list that has the radio Name but not the Frequency. On my stock radio I used to press button 1-6.
- I don't think this receiver can play FLAC music files (WAV works I think) and it doesn't recognize a second USB device if you have 2 plugged in but that's not really a problem.
- the screen can be hard to read in very bright sun
- pricey

1 of 1 found this helpful

piece of garbage

tony from quenns ,ny on 7/23/2012

Horrible radio that broke quickly, than the real fun came in getting a in warranty repair,a real nightmare that's going to be a three week repair time.& 0 sympathy from kenwood, that has 1 repair center for the NYC area that is a real dump.Also the lighting factor on there radios are terrible, you can not see the display at all in the daytime. I would definitely never buy a Kenwood product again!!

Pros:none

Cons:Bad screen display in the daytime, front removable panel not reliable had to be replaced in a year, unsympathetic cust. svce.

0 of 5 found this helpful

Nice upgrade for 2003 Honda Pilot

I replaced my OEM radio with this system more than six months ago, including satellite radio and Bluetooth. The main things I was looking for were: add inputs like HD radio; upgrade existing inputs (OEM CD player would not recognize CDs burned with mp3 files); and to be able to have easy control over the different types of inputs. Anything else would be a bonus.
Overall, I am very happy with it, as it gave me what I was looking for and more. The sound quality is very good - excellent if the input is an iPod. Navigating menus can be a bit frustrating, however, and it would be nice if there were actual preset buttons to quickly change channels - kinda important when you have satellite radio with dozens of channels.
Hands free Bluetooth calling is great, as it works with my phone and turns down the volume of the other inputs without me having to do anything - important safety feature.

Pros:Sound quality; ability to control separate inputs with one unit; hands free calling w/Bluetooth; works with steering column controls w/adapter

Cons:Display is (only occasionally) washed out by glare; mode controller on steering column only works in one direction (have to click repeatedly to get where you want rather than using two up/down buttons - but that's not the radios feature, just what is on the steering column); display "went dark" a few times for no apparent reason (but did not "lock up"); navigating the menus can be frustrating.

0 of 0 found this helpful

kdc-x995

just purchased a refurb unit and had it installed. The sound is increadible,compared to the pioneer we removed. Also added infinity kappas front and rear, and a powered sub under the rear seat of my 97 F-150. The kenwood paired easily with my cell and hands free calling is very good and easy to use. My first experience with HD radio is the sound quality is better than FM but not quite as good as CD or ipod/usb input. The ipod and usb music quality is excellent, Ive used both ipod and flash drive and the menues are easy to follow and make sence. The quality of the music with this system is crisp and clear, it will not rattle the car next to you but that is not what i am after. the sound is rich and satisfying.

Pros:sound quality, number of "built ins", bluetooth and HD built in

Cons:none so far...

1 of 1 found this helpful

Nice unit, poor visibility.

DD from US on 3/28/2012

I bought this for my 2011 F150XL to replace the factory radio since that's all it came with. I liked the Bluetooth, and the usb cable so I could use my flash drive. Sound quality was great with the 4 factory speakers. I ended up sending this back because the display was not bright enough during the day, I couldn't see any readout weather it was sunny or cloudy. I tried everything for almost 60 days, finally I called and asked if I could send this back for a different unit. This is a single din so I went for a double din of a different brand. The Kenwood is a good unit, my truck has lots of big windows so it may have added to the issue, it might would have worked in a vehicle with smaller or tinted windows if I still had one, but I don't care for tinting right now.

Pros:Easy installation, good sounds, works with many different phones

Cons:The display is not bright enough or big enough.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

Installed in 02 ChevyHD1500. Installation was a snap. I am still trying to figure alt whine. Running 3 MTX amps. No whine with factory stereo but do have with this unit. Was looking for rear USB only and this fit the bill. Iphone 4 & 4S work fine.

Not Very Happy

BillD from Kernersville, NC on 2/16/2012

I have had this unit installed now for 2 months. I did a lot of research to find a radio that would give me all the bells and whistles and work seamlessly with my IPhone 4 which it has and it does! PROBLEM(S).. Like I've read about the previous model (the 994) it locks up sometimes. And what I mean by it "locks up" it freezes. If you're cruising down the road at any unknown, no warning you lose ALL control of the radio. Whatever volume level your at, whatever you're listening to (Radio, Ipod, Pandora etc) no buttons work. You can't even turn it off!! Only option is to either shut the vehicle off or flip down the face and reset it with a pin or paper clip. The of course you lose all your settings. It doesn't happen often, but it's a pain!! The "2 year warranty".. Well, you have to send it in to a authorized repair facility at your expense. This means you have to uninstall it and go with out a radio for however long it takes them to repair or replace it. I'm sure other companies are the same but still..

Pros:All the features I think you could possibly want and sounds great (At least I think so).

Cons:As mentioned above plus hard to get used to having to navigate the menus. Once you get used to it, you can use the remote and not have to look at the screen too often. I haven't had a glare issue others have mentioned. It's installed in a full size GMC Yukon.

Very nice

Just cannot beat the Crutchfield Install Kit, makes installing Soooooo much easier. The Kenwood works great, much cleaner look than my last radio(Jensen), & so far it hasn't flubbed any. I'll never get a Optional "anything" ever again only built-ins from now on. Great Sound. Not nearly as glarey as previous review said.

very nice high quality receiver

This thing does it all. I couldn't be any happier. The display is great. I like the usb and auxiliary ports being in back because it looks alot cleaner not having cords running out of the front of the hu. I didn't think that I would use the blue tooth very much but it really is nice to have. You just can't go wrong with Kenwood and Crutchfield

Pros:High quality with a two year warranty. Rear usb and auxiliary ports. Variable color five line display looks goooooood. More features than you know what to do with.

Cons:None

1 of 1 found this helpful

Good Receiver

Nice unit, but I wouldn't give it a great. Without the remote it is difficult to operate. Bluetooth is great. Had issues setting up the XM module. Once working it works well, but again without the remote it is very difficult to operate. I haven't got Pandora to work yet. I just use the USB option to play Pandora. Sound quality is very good and can be tweaked to your liking.

Very nice, but some reservations

I like the radio, audio quality is very good and the features for the price are good. Pairing with a phone is easy and call quality is great. Within seconds of starting my truck, it pairs with my phone every time. It plays MP3's from a memory stick just fine. HD radio is great; I hope that format sticks around. I'm not an IPhone person, so I wish it had Android connectivity. I'm sure I can plug my phone into the USB and let it play my music files like it does from the memory stick, but I don't have the right cable and since it doesn't have Android controls like it does IPod, I probably won't bother. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't have radio preset buttons. It has radio presets, but you have to dig down through menus to get to them. You can get to the presets with the remote control, but that isn't quite as convenient as having buttons on the radio itself. This radio only has Bluetooth phone connection, it will not allow music streaming.

Pros:Lots of features, sound quality

Cons:No preset buttons

0 of 1 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

I've been a Kenwood fan for many years, this is by far the best deck they have produced!!! I've seen reviews complaining of no pre-set buttons, but I happen to like the uncluttered look of the faceplate. If you take the time to download the owners manual from Kenwood, it's easier to understand everything much better than the quick guide that is supplied. Most items are set and forget, but you would be better served by sitting in your driveway and geting familiar with all that this deck offers!!!

Pros:HD radio sounds incredible, BT works very well, easy hook up and use of an i-pod.

Cons:remote is very small, sometimes has trouble downloading phonebook

Got this for my wife's car

Overall I'm very happy with this head unit. Bluetoooth works great and sound quality is excellent.

Pros:- Ipod controls
- bluetooth
- great sound

Cons:Preset stations are hard to get to without using the remote... There are a lot of menu options to navigate... Glare can be a problem, but through trial and error with the MANY different color options I was able to find something that worked for her.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Great Product at an Amazing Price

Unit was incredibly easy to install, and works perfectly. Thanks to Crutchfield for the very clear instructions and accessories. Bought this unit specifically for the rear USB input and pandora streaming. iPod integration works wonderfully, as does bluetooth phone audio. Only drawbacks are the inability to switch between iPod and pandora without touching your iPhone, and lack of support for bluetooth text messaging. Overall, a great unit that I would buy again.

Kenwood KDC-995 receiver

This is a great looking and performing unit. I haven't had time to use or learn all of the features yet but look forward to getting more familiar with it. I am more than happy so far with the purchase.

Can't have everything, this was close

I started my weeks of research wanting a professional looking non-dvd headunit that didn't look like Vegas on my dash. Unfortunately that is not an option without sacrificing technology (BT, HD, IPod, etc.) or spending $$$$. I really wanted to go with an Alpine or Pioneer either digital media or cd player. However Alpine doesn't have amber illumination to match my interior and while others offer various color illumination. After exhaustively looking I narrowed it down to Pioneer's Media Receiver (7300 or 8300BT) and Kenwood's CD receiver (X995) with sound quality, technology, preamp sub control and under $500 being priorities. In the end I chose the kenwood bc it has a 2yr warranty, more wattage, built-in HD, built-in BT, rear USB input for stealth bulkhead install in my center console and a CD player to boot. It was close bc the Pioneer had 8 EQ bands (vs 5 with the Kenwood) and I really like Pioneer. But I couldnt resist the x995 bc it was a very technolgy-packed headunit for the price. In addition I don't have room in my coupe for all the additional modules and wire-routing required to add 'optional' technologies.

Pros:Despite the listed Cons, they are trivial to me given I now have hands free phone, HD radio, great preamp sub signal and 5 band EQ with many fine adjustments..well under my planned budget. Install was easy and sound was significantly better than expected. BT was easy to pair w iPhone4. Callers have no issues hearing me (no gain adjust needed). Callers impressed with lack of bckgnd noise heard while driving. Microphone is located on the headliner edge above the rear view mirror

Cons:Face plate giggles upon pressing the knob/buttons. Color settings allow keys/buttons to match my BMW amber interior, display amber too light. Dislike the glossy face, glare is significant. Best option was setting (POS1) display to show full screen lit with txt black during day and when my lights are activated it displays opposite. Presets could be easier to access. Best method I found was to set seek mode to scroll through ur 18 presets using >> key/button on face

X995

Overall tis is a nice head unit, it has a stronger and tighter bass because of the 4V amp output. The FM reception is of good quality and much better than my old alpine 9855 unit, the CD is not as clean but it is close. It is a must that you read than reread the owners manual to take advantage of all the nice features this unit has to offer. The display is sometime hard to read in sunlight but there are several display adjustment to help reduce the glare. The USB playback is also a nice touch. Overall I say this is a good product to buy.

Great Replacement Radio

A Lot of features for the price, an excellent warranty and terrific customer service. If you have any doubts about whether you Explorer has a factory subwoofer, call tech support BEFORE ordering so you get the correct cables.

Radio

Radio works well. Sounds great. Only complaint is I can't see the display in bright day light

Pros:

Cons:

0 of 0 found this helpful

So Far So Good

SwissFreek from Olympia, WA on 1/18/2012

This stereo has everything I need. Works great with my iPhone. Being able to control Pandora from the unit instead of screwing with the phone is nice. The search function works really well, too. Others have had issues with glare. I do not. This is probably largely dependent on what you drive. I have an '07 Xterra, so the stereo is mounted pretty close to vertical, fairly high in the dash. I'm a tall guy so the angles probably just work out right. I set my display to orange so it matches the dash of my truck, and I think that helps, too, since it's one of the more visible color settings. I also saw it on one of the reviews somewhere that Pandora won't run off an iPad. Maybe that was under iOS 4.x or something, but I can confirm that this unit DOES in fact work just fine with an iPad. All the functions including Pandora, iTunes, Netflix, etc. work. Obviously since this unit doesn't have a screen you'd need to switch to "iPod by Hand" mode to get video to work, but that's a minor annoyance. Charges the iPad, too! Also, others have said that Bluetooth does not turn off when the radio does. In my experience it takes about 10 seconds after the stereo turns off for the BT to disconnect from my iPhone, but it does in fact do it. Perfect device would be this head unit with HD radio and DAC bypass, but combined with the display of the KIV-BT901.

Pros:Lots of functions
Great price for the features
Works great with all iDevices
Color match to your dash
HD radio sounds good
BT sounds good and others tell me it just sounds like I'm on a headset

Cons:Sometimes quirky when you start it back up (either says "Check Device" or loads in "iPod" mode even though Pandora is playing). Easy to fix, just turn on the phone and open Pandora and it kicks back in properly. This is probably the fault of the iPhone closing Pandora in the background, and only a minor annoyance.
Occasionally crashes completely and restarts (have seen it a few times when switching between two different iOS devices). Again, only a minor annoyance.

1 of 1 found this helpful

Solid Stereo... Could use some tweaks...

Installed this in an 2001 MB SLK. Handled the install myself using the supplied Crutchfield sheet and harness. Worked great except for pops in between tracks on the USB stick or iPod. Crutchfield quickly sent out a ground loop isolator which solved the problem. Kept the factory Bose amp and speakers.
The good - Sounds great! Much better than the factory system, HD Radio is a plus as well as iPod integration. Hands free BT works well from an audio quality standpoint. Another plus was being able to adjust the color to match the rest of the dash illumination.
The not so good- Menu's are frustrating to navigate at times in part because there are a lot of options, but not laid out well. I'm a technology consultant and frequently test products ranging from TV's to Stereos and PC's and many Smartphones. I generally can navigate most new devices very easily and quickly but even after a few months I still find myself referring to the manual on this guy.
The other irritating feature is the BT sync to the phone. It goes through this "downloading"procedure every time you start the car and it can take several minutes sometimes. During this time you have limited access to things. I understand that once in a while it will need to refresh the phone logs and address book between the stereo and phone, but when you are in and out of the car 20 times a day it is frustrating beyond belief. Once a day would be fine or find a way to make it faster.

Pros:Great sound, easy install

Cons:BT phone sync needs work, confusing menus for audio controls

1 of 1 found this helpful

Remarkable Radio

The KDC-X995 is a remarkable radio. I am a big fan of Kenwood products and this one is no exception. It has everything I wanted in a radio. I am thinking about trading my car in this summer on a new one and the radio is staying with me.

Pros:It does everything that Kenwood advertises and it does it well. Easy to program and navigate to options and menus.

Cons:Had a minor problem with the bluetooth when first using it. It would recognize my phone but would not pair with it. I tried an older phone and it finally paired with it and when I tried my original phone it paired with it also. Kenwoods tech support gets a two out of a one to ten rating.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Very dissapointed

Searched and reviewed receivers for weeks before deciding on this unit. It had all the features I wanted at a fair price. Reading the reviews I was concerned about a couple of things. People complained about the unit playing the same songs over and over on "random all" play mode and about no physical preset buttons for the radio and about a cumbersome menu structure. I decided they probably didn't read the manual (which you have to download online - Booo!) and weren't using the unit correctly. Well, turns out they were right. Menu is near impossible to use while driving - very dangerous. Out of 100 folders on one level, each with 5-30 files loaded onto a flash drive the receiver will pick out about 20 or so songs and play them over and over and over and over and over -- every now and again picking a different one just to make you think it's starting to work correctly. I rearranged the order of the folders and files and it still did the same thing. This is the exact same thumb drive with the exact same files that I use in a Sony unit and it will play for days w/o hearing a repeat song. I've been buying from Crutchfield for over 20 years and this is the first time I can remember ever sending something back. But, I've had enough of this unit and good riddance.

Pros:Most features worked very well. Sounded great. Good build quality.

Excellent Deck!!!

I used this in conjunction with the GMOS-1 and the ASWC for my 2010 Chevrolet Silverado. Sound quality improved dramatically! This deck is my third Kenwood the iPod control is intuitive and works just like an iPod. The HD radio is GREAT. I do not use the Bluetooth as my truck already has it installed. EQ is awesome and the crossover is great (I have subs installed).

Pros:High quality, great ipod interface, color choice is a plus, crossover works great.

Cons:

2 of 2 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

This car stereo revives my love of driving and taking the long way home. The power it has is amazing. I never knew the stock speakers sounded so good. The clarity of the HD radio and seeing the name of the artist and song is pretty cool. I only wish it had presets as it is a little inconvenient to change radio stations. You do get used to it, it just takes time. Glad I chose this car stereo. Crutchfield is everything they say and more. I have been a long time customer and will continue for many more to come.

Pros:The power it has is just amazing. Seeing the name of the song and the artist. I also like the ability to change the display color.

Cons:Lack of presets make it inconvenient to change radio stations.

4 of 4 found this helpful

Good HU

The HU has a ton of features. You can EQ a great sound from the unit. I will admit it though, it doesn't seem to have a "natural" sound. That's the best way I can describe it. It has more of a digital processed sound, that to me, seems to lack some mid range frequencies (yes, I've tried different speakers). I seem to be EQing bass heavy or tinny treble out of every song. You can turn off the "DSP" (digital processor) but then it takes away the EQ option. It still does sound better than most HU's I've heard. I love the built in crossovers, sub level,5 band EQ, etc. I don't like the number of menu options you have to scroll through to get to some features. AT best they should have put more direct buttons on the remote to access commonly used features with one button press. You can however memorize the number of button/knob presses/turns and key them in fast and it will recognize it. Being so feature rich, there are several proprietary options that I have no clue as to what they do. The owners manual doesn't tell you either. It just tells you how to access them and turn them off/on. If it bugs me too much, I know that one call to Crutchfield will clear it up. I did have an issue with the X995. The remote wire to turn on an outboard amp just quit working. I just wired the remote feed to the 12v switched power supply.
All in all a great feature rich, good sounding HU. I don't think there is anything out there in this price range that will match it.

Pros:More features than other HU's in it's price range.

Cons:Too many steps to access some features. No clear description of features in owners manual

0 of 0 found this helpful

My iPhone works with my car now!

I just installed this Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 CD receiver in my 2003 Jeep Liberty. Never having installed a car radio before, I found the Crutchfield people to be VERY helpful when I ran into a couple roadblocks. Everything was easily resolved.
Although it took me a couple hours to install, it would take me about 30 minutes now that I've done one.
HD radio is amazing, as is the ability to interface with my iPhone. The hands free calling is clear on both ends - absolutely awesome!
This unit is great but Crutchfield as a company - even better. I ordered the stuff on Friday just before Christmas and received it the following Monday! There was even an error (my fault) which they correceted by sending a second package. Even that package arrived Monday. Just great.

Pros:Great Sound. Tons of functions, especially paired with the iPhone.

Cons:Lots of menus to scroll through rather than individual buttons.

0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome sound quality

The fullness of Excelon sound cannot be duplicated at this price. I returned an Alpine 124 to get this unit and do not regret the decision. I can navigate the contents of my Ipod while listening to Pandora, no issues finding artists or songs except you need to look at the screen while searching - kind of dangerous when driving depending upon placement within the car.

Pros:Kenwood Excelon sound quality, impressive amount of control over sound once you find the menus

Loaded with features, and a good price

GREAT sound quality, for the most part easy to use. I'm color blind, and have had issues installing stereos in the past. With the install guide from CRUTCHFIELD everything was clearly marked, and had no issues at all. With the features this unit has, and the price you can't go wrong. And with 3 sets of pre-outs it leaves you room to expand later. Couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Pros:HD Radio, Bluetooth, Decent power, 4 volt pre-outs for future upgrading. With the included wiring adapters installation was a breeze.

Cons:Would be nice to have an actual user guide (CD-Rom guide doesn't help in the car!)

1 of 1 found this helpful

Purchased in Nov 2011 for a Toyota MR2

Environment: iPhone and 1991 Toyota MR2 - 2 seater, with T-tops and the engine directly behind the passengers (mid-engine). I say this as in an MR2 there is lots of glass and light coming in so it can be difficult in the day to deal with glare. In addition with the engine behind the passengers it can be a little noisy.
About me: I'm a tech head and love electronics, but when driving I want something easy to use.
Prior to installing this I had a Panasonic deck and aftermarket speakers, along with a Jabra Cruiser 2 Speakerphone mounted to the visor. The Panasonic was basic and did not have the clarity I would have liked, the same could be said for the Jabra. So when the Panasonic started having issues I thought it was time to spend a little more and get something that could replace both items.
The primary features I was searching for were Bluetooth and iPhone/iPod compatibility. I didn't want to spend more than $350-$400 and most of the decks seemed to be iPhone/iPod "compatible" with an extra $100 accessory...
This deck had it all, PLUS HD radio, I did not know what I was missing, but HD radio in Seattle is great!! Some stations even broadcast additional channels that don't have ads, etc. and are in CD quality clarity.
This is a quality product and I'm now contemplating getting another to replace my factory deck in my Volvo.

Pros:***Crystal clear sound for ALL features***
*Bluetooth
*iPhone/iPod compatible
*USB player
*HD Radio
*Display info is easy to read/change

Cons:*The glare took a bit of getting used to, however once I settled on the right display color, it was no longer an issue. Additionally, I could get anti-glare film to put on the display if I wanted to use a different display color.

6 of 7 found this helpful

Solid choice for my Elantra

Good, solid, after-market receiver. Installation instructions were concise and clear. Called Crutchfield's Tech Sup on a Sunday Morning, and got answered on first ring to help answer a minor general question (about airbags). I've bought many items from Crutchfield over the years, and have always been very satisfied.

Pros:Instructions were nearly perfect (one pair of wires were orange and orange/black, a little confusing). Bought the unit mainly for HD Radio and it's great! Took about 2 hours to put into a 2008 Hyundai Elantra, and Crutchfield's attachments fit like a glove. Finished product looks great!

Cons:The controls take getting used to. I miss not having pre-set buttons (there are pre-sets, but you have to scroll through Menu). Instruction manual missing from box: I downloaded it from Crutchfield/Kenwood's website.

5 of 5 found this helpful

Really surprised

Bobby from Chesapeake Oh on 10/26/2011

I bought this for my 2006 Mustang and yes the flip down cd works with zero issues. Installed it today and the sound quality is nice. I replaced my Clarion CZ500 which in 10 months went out. My main concern was the sound quality with the microphone wile making a call. The person I tested with said it sounded like I was yelling. Nice thing that there are settings that allow you to change the mic gain, noise reduction, and echo control. I did notice that my infinity speakers and subs sounded better and is more responsive at lower volume.
Only draw back is the cumbersome use of the settings. There are a lot of setting to navigate. Really wished this came with an instruction manual. Oh well can find that online.

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Good in all aspects but one...

I love this receiver in all aspects but one. I normally don't write reviews, but this one aspect has become so bothersome that I felt I needed to share it with others. When using a USB drive, and selecting the "Random All" setting, it frustratingly randomizes the song list. I know this is supposed to be random, but how on earth can the SAME song be selected 3 times in a row when I have 1400 songs on my thumb drive?!?! While not impossible, I bet the odds are astronomically improbable haha. Driving for 45 minutes I had the same song come on 5 times, and another song 4 times. After taking the drive out and looking at the folder structure it seems like it first selects a top level folder, and then a lower level folders, and so on (until there are no folders left, only songs), and then selects a song. So my issue was that I had a few top level folders with only 1 song in it...so they got played over and over and over again. After reorganizing my folders it seems to help, but then it goes to the next level, and if you have only 1 song in a folder in there you will get that one. It is really quite frustrating to be honest.
On a positive note, they head unit sounds amazing, and has tons of adjustment options to perfectly fit your vehicle sonically. HD Radio sounds great, CD's sound great, Digital Media sounds great...I would suggest this to anyone with the caveat of making sure to organize your USB drive appropriately.

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4 of 4 found this helpful

Poor display, Slow processor, great sound.

SoundStream from Tampa FL on 10/3/2011

First off I applaud Kenwood for "trying" to put as many features into a radio as possible. Sadly, it operates like a beta version. The display is Wayyyy to dim. I have this installed on my boat and I can't even view the display unless I shade it with my hand. Cycling through the menu is slow and NOT intuitive at all. Who at Kenwood apporved this menu logic tree?
Maybe they will build a KDC-X996 that'll actually operate like an 'eXcelon' should.

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5 of 15 found this helpful

kenwood cdx995

this unit is great! bluetooth, satellite ready, detatchable face, ready to plug in ipod...everything i wanted for a reasonable price. so happy with it. glare is not a big issue...i don't stare at this thing while i'm driving and 95 percent of the time i know who the artist is or what the song is. You have the option to turn the display off so nothing shows on the face (which is what i normally do) so glare issue?...resolved! It has alot of power so my speakers are def louder but it sounds like i need to upgrade from the factory. Overall great unit no issues with the install came with everything i needed.

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3 of 4 found this helpful

Awesome stereo-great price for features!

Installation was easy (it was my first time installing my own stereo), but the only down side is you have to go through the menu options to find your radio pre-set stations and you get a slight glare coming from the face. Also, the instruction manual doesn't go into great detail about the settings. Other than that, the display is great and blue tooth accessability is really user frindly. One you have it all set up you are good to go and you will be so glad you got it!

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Awesome features but potentially dangerous

mikeI from philadelphia, PA on 9/8/2011

in terms of features for the price, quality of sound, etc. There is simply not a better buy out there. As most of the other reviews point out, this unit gives you a lot for the money. Not sure how other co mpanies are still getting away with making everything an add on module.
So, why the 3 stars? Simple, really. ... No buttons.
In my vehicle the radio is down low by the shifter, definitely not a great design. However, with most units you can rely on tactile feedback to select a station preset, switch modes, etc. On this unit you are forced to take your eyes off the road to.perform many basic functions. If your vehicle mounts the radio up high, the quick glance may be acceptable. If not, give some thought to the safety implications of no buttons.

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9 of 15 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

Puchased this receiver because it had everything I was looking for. Bluetooth, HD Radio, Ipod/pandora support, and time alignment. People looking to stream music through bluetooth (I have no iea why you would do this because of the poor quality) need to look elsewhere. The bluetooth synch with my phone is perfect. Very impressed with the time alignment and all of the other features. The only CON I can find with the unit is the glare off of the front. It doesnt bother me so much but I did notice it. This unit might also replace my beloved Alpine 9887 I have in my other car.

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3 of 7 found this helpful

WoW, Kenwood Surprised me....

Ever since I had a car, I have had premium or upgraded stereo. In my previous SUV I had so much put in, the system was worth twice as much as the truck, and it was not a bad truck... I was able to enter competitions and actually win (Thanks to crutchfield.com and some friends at the local audio store). My current car came stock with 14 speaker Bose system speakers but had old receiver which I really wanted to change. Since I am very particular about the quality on the stereo and I have always bought Pioneer in the past, so I was a little skeptical about Kenwood. I figured this unit has all the features and specifications to work with the Bose system and a 10" JL sub woofer(which I purchased from Crutchfield.com less than a year ago) why not give it a try? I installed it last week, and WOW. The sound is so clear and crisp, even at max level. Perfect set up. The bluetooth is very clear too. The microphone is behind my steering wheel, practically invisible and the quality of the calls are so clear that on the other side the person cannot tell I am using a hands free device. As an experienced car audio enthusiast I would recommend the purchase of ground loop isolators. They make a great difference. While you are spending 350 bucks on a nice radio, spend another $25. You will not regret it. (Crurchfield has them) It is an amazing product that has it all, and I definitely recommend it. it has more than enough features to adjust the sound and it actually looks good.

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5 of 5 found this helpful

No Buyers Remorse

I've had this unit for about a month and I still get excited to drive my truck because of the stereo.
Negatives: 1. No direct source selection, you have to cycle through them all in order. 2. No preset buttons, menu based presets, I don't even use them. 3. Factory speakers will not survive the power output, wiped out my 12 year old Dodge Infinity separates in two weeks. 4. I knew when I ordered this that there would be glare issues, but that only effects the unit for a short time in the evening.
Positives: 1.Tons of features to personalize playback. 2. Can do anything with any form of media newer than cassettes. 3. EXCELLENT sound quality. I was going to give this 4 stars, but the sound quality is too good to rate less than a 5.
Overall, an excellent head unit. Take the time to install everything well, it makes for a great experience. I Love this stereo!

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Outstanding Head Unit

This is a great Head Unit. I had the prior year model in my Nissan and bought this one for my 4Runner. I plan to use the same model in my FJ. The functionality of the head unit is everything I use and need. The sound is great and it has various levels of adjustments depending how much you want to fine tune it.
I wish it would have been a little cheaper but the price was the same everwhere I looked.

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Sorry, Pioneer

I was at a quandry as to which head unit to select for my truck and went with the Pioneer DEH-6300UB first. I did it the hard way, you know (Local store, wire harness, mounting brackets). After a week I had to return the unit because it over-heated and just cut off.
Before making my next selection I did some more research and discovered that this Kenwood compared to the Pioneer has 22 RMS vs 14 RMS. Big difference!
The only thing that annoys me is the lack of station pre-set buttons. You must use the menu system to change radio preset. Quality and features more than make up for it though. HD radio quality is, well, I had no idea it could be so clear. Kenwood did a really good job on the display and the amount of information they included, song information, spectrum analyzer and clock on the same screen. The screen has some glare but also has a contrast setting. My windows are tinted so it doesn't bother me that much.
Spend the extra $ to get this radio, you won't be disappointed. Crutchfield will send you the mounting bracket and wire harness and that will save you an extra $30. Tech support was great too, I had a questions about wire color coding, the guy had my answer about as quick as I finished my sentance.

What more could you want

I dont offer too much feedback on products, but this one deserves the effort. Seriously, this head unit has everything the average consumer could want or need, and even satisfies the more savvy multi-media nerds. I've had Kenwood products for years and always been happy with the quality and durability. This unit is no different. Great funciton with user friendly controlls.
A well known car audio store quoted me $50 more than crutchfield for the unit itself and some rediculous installation fee. Something about having to rewire the whole car and replacing the fiber optic Bose system in my wife's Benz SLK-320. I laughed as I walked out of the store. With the kit Crutchfield sent me, I installed it in less than 30 minutes and it was plug and play.
IPod runs seamlessly with built-in controls. We have our entire music library with menus and sortability right at the head unit. In hindsight we probably didn't even need the CD player, but it is nice to have anyway. I was very skeptical about the sound quality and echo from the built-in bluetooth, but it is actually the function I am most impressed with. Even with the top down on the highway, I can't tell if my wife is using her handset or on the stereo's bluetooth. The controls are simple and the integrated phone book is very nice too. She is FINALLY hands free!
Now I am just waiting for my stereo to wear out so I can buy this one for myself!

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5 of 5 found this helpful

Great Value

For the money this unit can't be beat. Awesome sound quality and built in HD radio and Bluetooth. This unit replaced the factory HU in my 05 Silverado Crew cab, feeding 3yr old Alpine TypeS 6.5s. The difference is fantastic, but now with added volume it has me wanting an amp and sub to fill it all out. Bluetooth works great even w/ the windows down and iPhone connection sounds great as well as a USB full of mp3's. Pandora source sounds a little hollow, but what do you expect from a compressed stream over a cell network.
The one negative: Like others say there is a definate glare on this unit. In my truck the placement combined with the colors I selected to match my factory instruments allow the unit to be seen in all but super sunlight. In some car's placements though it might be really hard to see in daylight.
I still gave it 5 stars though b/c I knew this before I bought it and the unit makes up for it in sound and features. Pair it with Crutchfield and I would recommend.

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

This is a pretty good head unit it does everything I wanted it to do. Sirius hookup, ipod, cd, hd radio, and (rear/front/Sub rca's). The menu setup is pretty easy to pick up on your own because there is a tiny paper that does not tell you much about the head unit functions. One thing I did notice was that the cd would cut out every now and then, the disc is pretty new with no scratches on it. But my ipod is how I usually listen to music. The display can be hard to see at times because of glare off the shiny plastic and some of the colors that the display uses when set on variable color are too dark and you can not see what is on the screen so you have to wait a few seconds till a brighter color comes up. There are a ton of settings to go through on this unit but still can't get it to be view-able with all colors. I really like this head unit and would recommend it. I will say though since I bought this I have been looking at speakers to replace my stock ones and the guys at two different local audio shops ( not best buy either, actual audio shops) told me to send this headunit back and get a higher end alpine because they are better. So I am keeping the kenwood anyway but just to let some of you know what the car audio guys say about this unit.

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4 of 7 found this helpful

Stock 1997 Benz radio Replaced

Love this Head unit. Bluetooth is idiot proff, iPod controls are flawless and the sound through my old Bose amp and speakers is fantastic. I added a 10" woofer in the trunk and it thumps like crazy. Installation was a snap. Just make sure you ask them to send the crimping stuff and noise filters with the free installation kit.

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3 of 3 found this helpful

WOW!

ShawnM from Sarasota, FL on 6/10/2011

I LOVE this CD player! I cannot even begin to go into detail all of the reasons why I LOVE this CD player! I had a Kenwood in my car when I was in High School and loved them then! I bought this unit when my beloved factory radio system tried to eat my CD. I loved the factory system because of the sound quality and didn't know if it could be any better, but it did! If you like options, you will love this Kenwood unit! Preset EQ's as well as your custom EQ. You can even set your speaker size and decible levels in each of the speakers! I LOVE the bluetooth feature as well!

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3 of 3 found this helpful

review

os from la, ca on 6/8/2011

First the good features: -the ipod functionality/control is excellent; easy to scroll through your albums/folders -great controls for altering speaker balance -ability to modify color display (14 colors i believe) -handsfree works great-people cannot tell that im on handsfree. I connected the external mic near the upper left windsheild corner. -nice looking headunit-piano black finish -display is bright enough for me; other people have complained that its not bright enough.
The Bad: -does not stream bluetooth A2DP.... huge flaw from kenwood. one would think kenwood's top single din headunit would come with this feature. I would have rated it 5 stars but it is missing this feature. -HD radio works off and on-I really cant tell the differeance -when making phone calls, scrolling through the phone book via headunit is very annoying. much easier to control through phone. -comes with a cheap kenwood cloth to store the faceplate. kenwood should have included a hardcase to protect the expensive to replace faceplate if it gets damaged.
Over this a good product and would recommend it...but if you wish to stream music via blue tooth, you may need to reconsider. I wish kenwood would upgrade their firware/system to inlcude bluetooth streaming. Do not bother buying the kenwood ipod cable, a regular ipod cable will work with the usb cable.

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4 of 4 found this helpful

Read the description carefully

At first glance this stereo seemed like it had everything I was looking for, but shortly after installing it I started to see how wrong I was. A few days later things started going wrong with it and since I didn't keep the boxes that it came in I could not return it. They advertise that it has 18 presets for FM. But there are no separate buttons to program like on a normal radio. Also there aren't 18 presets only 6. Now let me tell you about the blue tooth feature. Or should I say useless crap feature. No one could understand me no matter how I adjusted the settings or how near or how far I placed the mic. It didn't matter everyone said I sounded like I was talking from the bottom of a pool. HD radio? Horrible reception. Kept jumping between regualar and HD on every trip. I never had this issue with the DUAL radio's that I purchased from Crutchfield. I certainly expected more from Kenwood. Now lets get to some of the other features. Like the display. Sure you can change the colors to suit your mood or interior, but none of them are bright enough in normal daylight to see what the heck station you are listening too. There is no 1/8 " input jack to plug in only a USB that has to be separately mounted. You can't easily get to the presets even if they do work. The buttons on the front are too small to know what you are hitting. The display is too dim. Overall what a piece of junk this head unit is.<br>
<b>[Editor's Note: Our Technical Department confirms that this unit does have 18 presets and a 1/8" input jack. They have contacted the customer with specific details.]</b>

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4 of 28 found this helpful

Great Unit

After my Clarion went hay-wire, I decided to replace it with the X995 in my '04 F250. While it's my first Kenwood, I have been very impressed with it's quality. It sounds great. The Ipod navigation works great. It even came with a bulkhead adapter for the USB pigtail (it's small things like this that go a long way in my book).
The menus are real intuitive. I was able to set most of the settings without even reading the manual (that's more than I can say bout the Clarion). The glare can sometimes be annoying at sunset and rise but has not been a big problem at all.
Overall, I am very happy with this headunit. I would definitely recommend it!

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4 of 4 found this helpful

Not Happy...

Dan from Los Angeles on 5/16/2011

Part 2: First, my apologies, there is documentation on Kenwood's website. It's not included in the box, which is fine.
Now, since Part 1, I had the X995 installed, along with 2 amps, cap (1.5uF), sub, speakers, wiring, grounded cables, fusing, Dynamat.
The X995 is terrible! The processor is slow, and things take a while to appear on the screen, when actually they should be instant. An example is when pressing the menu button. It takes time to do some silly screen animation and then say 'menu' for a bit longer on the screen. The response time for traversing the menus is slow, too.
This brings up my next point. Every time I hit the menu button, the word 'menu' has to slowly appear...as if I needed to see that always. If I hit the menu button, then just go to the menu without wasting my time.
Second, there are few buttons on the face, which means that you have to go through menus for many commonly used functions. You really have to keep your eyes on the radio to control it for so many common needs. WHO QA'D THIS SYSTEM???
Also, there is no direct power switch. You have to use the 'SRC' button to cycle between your sources until you get to 'off.'
The glare on the screen does exist, as everyone else mentioned.
The tuner sucks completely. It's confusing, and it's slow to seek or tune. Also, this thing only has 18 memories.
Overall I seriously HATE the Kenwood X995 so much. I must thank Crutchfield for letting me return it. I'm getting another brand.

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15 of 37 found this helpful

Fair, but not great

There are some great features with this HU, but there are a few things that could be much better.
First of all, Syracuse NY has just a few HD radio stations. I didn't realize that this HU didn't play non-HD stations. I do enjoy sports talk radio every so often, and now I can't get it. I'm sure HD radio is awesome, but my iPod is fine.
Also, the sound on my factory radio (Honda Accord) is better than the Kenwood, which I certainly didn't expect. This HU sounds very tinny. I've added some nice Infinity speakers and played with every possible setting and I'm still getting less than the full sound that I require. Perhaps an amp would make it better.
The bluetooth feature is great, and phone calls sound great through this, and I like how it mutes the music when a call comes in. That's a must-have for me now. I also like that it plays AAC discs.
I'm returning this for something without HD radio, but I'll also get an added amp.

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1 of 4 found this helpful

Love it!!

I love this radio! I have had Sirius for years and have been looking at the Sirius radio on my dash and I hated it. I was looking for a radio that was capable with Sirius and Bluetooth. So far both features of this radio work great for me. I enjoy the Pandora function as well, even though I don't use it that often. I would reccommend this radio.

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

I got this unit and put it in and took me a total of about 30min with my nissan titan. coming from a DNX-8120 and after owning previous excelon and alpine single din i would say this is top of them all.
pros:
no additional cable purchase required. (uses white ipod cable that comes with ipod)
Built in bluetooth
built in HD radio
adjustable key and display illumination color
steering wheel control input
menu navigating isn't too bad.
sound quality is amazing on fm/hd am i don't really listen to.
actual volume knob is very easy to use.
and most importantly all of this integrated into a single din.
now for the cons:
illumination is horrible even with the contrast set all the way up, its still somewhat difficult to see during the day due to glare.
will not work with ipad to get pandora going, does work with ipod touch/iphone
not much of cons but its enough to bring it down a star. The sound quality and all in one ness of the unit makes up for it. would i purchase again yes and i would recommend to others. go ahead and drop the money crutch field also applied a 20 credit to me when i called in person to find out the difference about this and the
kdc bt-948hd

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4 of 4 found this helpful

A lot for a little

I installed in a 2007 Chevy Silverado,
Overall excellent product for the price.
I have discovered some HD stations that I really enjoy.
Bluetooth works well. I did roll up the window because my caller said there was static, after that she said she could hear me just fine.
Why isn't the microphone for speaking built-in?
Con... Is you can't stream your music through Bluetooth, but you can use an auxiliary audio cable to hear your music, but then you loose the Bluetooth connection for phone calls...?
For smart phones it can stream Pandora.
One other minor con is the glare. Glare makes it very hard to see the display.
I guess for me I will transfer my music to flashdrive, and use the USB connection. That way I can keep my phone as hands free.
I chose HD and Bluetooth for variety and hands free calling.
Remember hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, NOT your phone
I just took a trip to Scottsdale, Az and was so happy that I replaced the basic radio I had in my truck.
With so many ways to fine-tune your music... I was one of those nuts singing to my tunes, and it made the trip so much better.
Considering I had just AM-FM in my truck this is a huge upgrade.
I had already changed the speakers to Polk Audio in the doors, and in the pillars behind the seats.
This combination for me is fantastic.
Oh Yea... It has a CD player that works well to. Remember those

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3 of 5 found this helpful

Excellent Audio Quality / A Few Quirks

The Blue Tooth and excellent iPod/iPhone integration (The Pandora integration is killer). It remembers your EQ settings PER-SOURCE. I've always complained about this in decks and this is the first one that actually does it. Observations/Irritations:
I. No preset buttons. I listen to the radio a lot and like to switch between presets. There is no easy way to do this. This is REALLY annoying.
II. Because the Parrot module is not very tightly integrated (it's in the deck but not on the main board) it has power even when the deck is turned off)
III. When I answer the phone and then choose "Phone" as the audio source on the phone itself - it goes right back to the stereo after a few seconds. If I don't want to use the hands free in the car I have no choice but to turn off blue tooth on my phone.
IV. No Blue Tooth audio support.

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4 of 4 found this helpful

Really Nice, But...

Lobos from Winchester, VA on 5/5/2011

I bought this unit after a consult with a rep (in person) at the store in Harrisonburg. I selected this unit based on having HD and Bluetooth capabilities built-in to easily fit in-dash on my '05 Civic coupe right before a long road trip down to SC. I found out after I got it home and installed that I had wrongly assumed that I would be able to stream media via Bluetooth from my Samsung Epic 4G device, though I am able to make phone calls.
Ok,now that the gripe is out of the way, I found the performance of the receiver in HD Radio mode to be a nice experience. Bluetooth telephony work as advertised / expected, with low noise levels received on the other end -- even driving > 65 MPH down a stretch of I-70 in my Civic. I guess I will transfer my music collection to a USB flash drive and see how the USB media support works, and update this review later if I find reason to modify it.
I did find the display to be highly susceptible to glare, as others have reported. The jury is out on the menu system, as I am still 'dialing in' everything, and don't want to comment until I have had the unit longer to develop any 'real' gripes.
Overall, a good pick if you want Bluetooth hands-free telephony and HD radio buitl into the DIN chassis in an aftermarket solution. Just be aware that you can't stream your music over Bluetooth, like you can on lesser-expensive units, such as the Clarion CZ-500. Shame on Kenwood for that, at this price point!

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5 of 5 found this helpful

Great potential, but two glaring problems.

Scott from Phoenix on 5/5/2011

I bought the KDC-X995 receiver two days ago. I have to say initially I was VERY impressed. You have options upon options to make this thing truely your own. It can play your iPhone music, the HD radio sounds great, can connect with your iPhone through Bluetooth for calls, plug your kid's dvd player into the aux and play sound through the truck speakers, can play mp3 CDs, and more. The biggest issues I have with this receiver relate to the Sirius radio setup and the glare from the glossy screen. The Sirius radio setup sucks. You can program 4 groups of 6 of preset channels. You can search either by channel searching one by one or by your presets. Problem is that if you change groups of your preset channels in Sirius, THE SEEK MODE CHANGES BACK TO CHANNEL EVERY TIME. So if you use presets exclusively like me, you have to go into menu and alter the seek mode every time you change a group. It does stay on preset channel seek if you stay in the same group however. I really wish that the unit would save the setting between channel and preset searching until I decide to change it. That sucks big time since sat radio is one of the reasons I got a new receiver. Second, the glare on the screen of this unit is for real. Really wouldn't be such a big issue if the unit could get a little brighter. The smaller of the two issues though. I think I may have to return this item-great potential wasted by one terrible design issue (for me).

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5 of 6 found this helpful

Nice HU, except for a couple of details

The sound quality is great. It improved my OEM speakers immensely. Being able to make and receive calls through the systems is great as well. My biggest gripe coincides with a lot of the other reviews: the glare and how dim the display is. If it's really sunny, I can hardly see the display. My other gripe is how complicated it is to maneuver through the functions - they aren't very intuitive (I'm guessing most units are like this today, though). Because there are no preset buttons, it's a pain to change radio stations. You really have to make use of the remote at that point, which is fine, but I wish it was easier to make changes, especially while driving. I do like how the USB connection is in the rear so the cables are hidden instead of hanging off the front of the unit - it looks cleaner. I ran the cable into my glove box so it's easy to connect my iPod in there and out of the way. I also enjoy having the HD radio - clarity without a subscription or commercials.
Overall, the sound quality and features are great, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. I would have given it 5 if it were more user friendly and the display was easier to see during the day.
If you've never bought from Crutchfield (this was my first time), do it. I will never buy a stereo elsewhere because of the support, master sheets and hardware that they provide.

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

Barry from Camarillo, CA on 4/29/2011

This is a very nice Kenwood unit. Great sound and many outstanding features. Limited number of buttons/knobs requires using a menu system. Some negatives in the user interface I noticed:
- Lack of radio preset buttons requires using Kenwood's menu system. So, just switching between AM and FM requires using the menu system that takes two or three button clicks while watching the display at the same time (distracted driving). After selecting the other frequency band, then you need to use the menu system again to select the preset station. Alternatively, you can define both AM and FM presets, but this limits presets to only 6 selections (mixed presets mode).
- There number of configuration settings makes the unit very flexible. But the number of settings is significant, so setup time is also significant. Unfortunately, if power is lost to the unit (such as disconnecting the battery), the configuration settings are lost. The radio presets are however saved (thanks Kenwood!). There is an audio preset save feature, but I'm not sure if this is saved to non-volatile memory. Too bad Kenwood provides no way to save these configuration settings (such as in non-volatile memory or by a USB storage device).

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Perfect for iPhone Users

Chipmunk from San Antonio, TX on 4/28/2011

I was looking for a new stereo with connectivity to my iPhone as my number one priority. I am a big Pandora user and this just works. I have never been a big fan of the radio stations here in San Antonio, and therefore didn't care about the HD Radio, but I have to admit.I'm sold. I also was impressed with the call quality of the hands free calls I've had. There are so many options that I will never touch half of them, but always glad that I have the options. I will admit, this is my first non-manufacturing car stereo I have ever had, but I can't imagine ever going back to the old one that came with the car. This stereo has brought new life to my 9 year old Beetle, and now I look forward to driving it a few more years!

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1 of 1 found this helpful

"Excel"ling On

After years with an older Kenwood head unit with minimal features and capabilities, it was time to upgrade. Well the X995 is the cat's meow! The sound quality is mind blowing and all the goodies it has is pretty extensive. Having bluetooth with a stick shift car is just one example to blast you into the modern age. The sound shaping adjustments you can make are really endless. It just takes time to get used to where everything is and how to adjust it to your tastes. But this is with any modern head unit. The only 2 quams I have is the display is cut off when viewed from a higher up angle and the HD radio isn't all that its cracked up to be when you live further out from the city then signal strength allows. The sound quality is awesome though save for when it(HD signal) cuts out. Over all I can't praise it enough, especially being a longtime Kenwood head unit fan. It's a must have for the features and specs that it provides!

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2 of 4 found this helpful

Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995

I have recently installed, and have been using my new 995 for about a week
now. I just love it!
I have a Samsung Mezmerize (Fascinate for Verizon customers) and the
bluetooth mesh is flawless. All my contacts show up on the hu, and calls are a
breeze to make. The usb connection found all my music on my phone, and
works great as well.
The sound quality is just phenomenal. Makes my old pioneer hu sound like an
am transistor radio. There is so much adjustability for sound, I don't think
anyone could be dissapointed.
There are only two downfalls I can find. One, is the glare and lack of brightness
in the display. Two, the fact that only a quick start manual is supplied with the
hu. If you want any more help, you have to download and print the 100 page
manual. Bummer.
I must say Crutchfield service is awesome too. Everything I needed was
included, even instructions of how to remove door and dash panels to make
the installation painless. This was my first of many purchases to come from
here. Kudos to Crutchfield!!!
So in a nutshell....... buy this head unit... it will not dissapoint!!!

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2 of 3 found this helpful

best at this pricepoint

Without spending at least twice the amount,this has to be the best HU out now.Many cool additions like HD Radio, charging while playing CLEANLY Ipod/usb. flexible and sounds cleaner than alpines w/o imprint setup. I have mb quart 6.5 and infinity ref 5.25's both in front doors(GMC Truck) 4x6 Planet Audio big bang plates in rear - all off of soundstream rubicon 4.500 and 2 12" Eclipse 500 rms alum series subs soundstream 1.1600 - sounds killer for sq, and can bang harder than other 12's i've heard in the last two years-while maintaining sq. love it

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1 of 1 found this helpful

Quality sound, but poor user-interface

I purchased Kenwood KDC-X995 for its 5-band EQ, built-in blue-tooth, and built-in HD radio. The sound quality of the unit is excellent and has enough power to fill my van with sound. The HD radio offers a nice step up in sounds quality from standard FM radio (better than satellite radio IMHO).
The downsides of the Kenwood is it's user-interface. Some of the most basic features requires navigating several levels into the menu, which is slow and cumbersome. In addition, the support of Pandora is reserved for the iPhone only, and does not support the A2DP protocol that would allow Android phones to play Pandora over blue-tooth. Please Kenwood, firmward mod please.

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8 of 8 found this helpful

Awsome head unit!

Sure I had to read the manual a few times to figure out how to work all the features. Then I even had to call Crutchfield support to explain a few things further. They were great, by the way! Yes when I first connected it the sound was flat and tinny. So I adjusted the equalizer from the factory default settings. No big deal there. You have to do that with any radio whenever the battery gets disconnected. It worked perfectly with my portable hard drive with music on it and my HTC Touch Pro 2 phone, which was not listed as one of the approved phones. The only bad thing is I lose my factory Satellite radio. Too bad someone does not make a adapter cable. But thats not Kenwoods fault. Besides I don't like the idea of paying for radio anyway. But it would be nice if I was ever going to sell the truck.

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Slightly Disappointed

Just installed this radio last night and have to say that I am very happy with the sound quality. Still learning how to navigate through and complete setup which will take some time. It was very easy to install and I even installed the Sirius satellite package with it. Complete install for me was a couple of hours mostly spent on figuring out how and where to place the cables for the satellite.
There are a couple of key items that I am disappointed with so far that aren't quite clear on the Crutchfield Feature Set:
*Yes, it has bluetooth but doesn't allow you to play media files via bluetooth and only audio (phone).
*Doesn't appear to be a way to be able to "mute" your line when on a call, seriously!
*Microphone quality - bad is what I was told this morning...sounds like I am in a tin can (even after adjusting the noise reduction settings)

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4 of 5 found this helpful

2 exact same units, both terrible sound quality!

JC from Minneapolis, MN on 4/12/2011

I have installed numerous units for friends and I. This is/was my third kenwood unit. Used to love them. But the three units over the years I have had, I have seen quality go down. This unit would be amazing if it had good or even decent sound quality, but everything sounds all tinny no matter what you tweak for settings. So unless you enjoy listening to what sounds like a bad internet feed on radio, cd, aux, or what ever then don't buy this unit. I have two of the same unit sitting here now and they both do it! Do to this it gets a one. Also make sure to buy ipod cable. Its supposed to work with out it but does not. Tried two ipods on both units! Only thing that sounds good is talking on phone through bluetooth. Kenwood really let me down! Now I have to look else where! Will update if I get one to work right or a reason from kenwood to change this review! But untill then it stays a one.

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8 of 20 found this helpful

Impressive

This was the only car stereo available that met all my needs: three preamp outs, rear usb for a 64gb flash drive, five band eq and variable color for both display and buttons. Massive features, excellent sound and easy interface makes this unit a highly recommended purchase. Be sure to get Kenwood usb cables along with this unit. I forgot to get mine until after, but Crutchfield waved the shipping fee because they know how to treat their customers.

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9 of 10 found this helpful

One Awesome Head Unit!

aloahheymon from Tampa Bay Area on 4/5/2011

I've always been a Pioneer die hard but after having problems with one of their units and not being satisfied with it I purchased this Kenwood. Let me just say that this is "ONE AWESOME UNIT!" PRO's: Bluetooth built in, SAT ready, HD built in, Pandora, Remote, Carrying pouch for detachable face, IPOD compatible, USB (although one and is in the rear), 3 sets of RCA's, and more. I've only have had it less than a week but so far it beats them all.
Now for the CON; the ILLUMINATION, the lighting of this unit is weak especially on the right side and this may be due to the left having some constantly lit items but the right side appears to be weaker none the less. Also, GLARE, don't get me wrong all of these newer units regardless of brand seem to have this problem which makes no sense because its not like they just started making Head Units for the first time. This is a serious problem and potentialy could cause you to have a accident if you are distracted straining to see or read something on it when you should be paying attention.
Overall a great unit and still would reccomend to a friend along with the service of Crutchfield.

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5 of 5 found this helpful

Wonderful Unit

I purchased this unit to replace a Pioneer Premier unit for my F-150 Supercrew. The sound quality is unbelievable. I can hear music and understand words that I could not with my Pioneer. I liked the Pioneer but it was about 8 years old. I spent around 4 months searching for the perfect head unit for my truck and system. The X995 is everything I was looking for and more. I was worried that the blue tooth would not work with my Droid X because it was not one of the listed phones. When I tried to connect them I was amazed. No problem at all. I can place and receive calls with ease and the clarity is great. I connected the USB cable to my phone and my music started playing without a hitch. I was really amazed when I noticed my phone was charging when connect to the unit. Installation was easy thanks to the guides Crutchfield sent with the unit. I was playing music in about an hour and a half including removing the old unit. The only con I have found is the display can be hard to read in certain lighting conditions. Overall this is the best unit out there.

Great Head Unit, Very Satisfied

This is by far the best head unit I've owned yet. I recently switched from my Alpine ida-x305s which was less than what I expected. This new x995 blows the Alpine away ten fold. I couldn't be happier with my purchase. This head unit has more features than I can cover from a very detailed built in digital time allignment (which works great) to highway sound (which also works well with my tahoe and its loud exhaust). I was surprised to see that you can also turn off the internal amp which is a really cool feature. I'm still finding new adjustments on this thing. And for you gadget guys, this HU has EVERYTHING built in, blue tooth, mp3, ipod, hd radio, you name it. This head unit sounds great and gets LOUD. This IS the best single din head unit available for the money right now. Don't pass this one up.

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Almost perfect Head Unit

I purchased the KDC-x995 as a replacement for an earlier Exelon I owned. This receiver is almost perfect. The Pros: Great Sound Quality, the new DSP sounds great, and has countless settings to customize the sound for your vehicle.
Pro: Pandora. Pandora in a vehicle is fantastic, and I find myself using it even more than the satellite. If Pandora ever gets a 192K bs on mobile sets it will be serious contender over other providers of music.
Pro: Earlier peripherals such as my Kenwood Sirius receiver and the old Kenwood Music Keg still are recognized and work flawlessly
Pro: Bluetooth connectivity for phone, my iPhone 4 works great with the X995 and callers have reported the SQ of my calls is fine. Note: When pairing the iPhone 4 you may need to search from the phone for devices rather than having the HU search for the iPhone.
And now for the Con: The display for me is not as good as my old HU. The glossy panel does have glare and renders the display very hard to see in morning and late afternoon sun. Also the colors are not as vivid as the old unit, and individual lines cannot have their colors changed. I will say the 5 lines of display is nice as opposed to the old 3 lines. Another curiosity is in cold weather the scroll seems to be blurred until the HU warms up, for that reason I turned scroll off.
Overall I have been very pleased with the KDC-X995, the many pros of this HU far outweigh the cons.

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7 of 8 found this helpful

Great product

installed in a 2004 Ford F-150 SuperCrew. Fit great even though crutchfield research said a fold down face would not. Sound quality is awesome even with stock speakers. Pandora works and sounds like i am playing a cd. So far no problems. Bluetooth sync was perfect and the calls sound great and there is no echo noted to the people I call. The only Negatives I have seen so far is that in certain lighting situations there can be a glare on the head unit. However there is a tremendous amount of customization available to the display to help if that is a problem. I am very happy with my purchase. Thank you crutchfield.

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5 of 6 found this helpful

Great hu if not the best for the price

Installed into a 2000 e39 bmw, It took my stock sound system to whole new level.
The audio quality and feature set of this this is just amazing. I recommend this
to any one that cares about getting the best sound possible. I do not have any
cons as of yet..

Product Research

Display Features

Detachable Fold-Down Face: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995
features a fold-down, detachable face to deter theft. You must manually fold the
face down before inserting or ejecting a disc. The CD player comes supplied with
a soft black fabric, draw string face case to protect the detachable face when
you have it off the chassis. A face-fixing screw is supplied for making
the face non-detachable, if desired.

Note: An optional soft face case (142DFC1X,
sold separately) can also be purchased for this unit.

Variable Color Illumination: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995
features variable color display and button illumination. You can choose from one
of 24 preset colors, have the unit scan through all 25 preset colors
continuously, or customize your own color (1-24: 0-9). The display and button
illumination can be set to the same color or set
independently.

Note: You can switch the in-dash head unit's display between a positive or negative
effect. You can also adjust the display's contrast from 1-30.

Display Types: The KDC-X995 offers five different display
types:

3-Line Display Mode: Displays up to 3 lines of text.

5-Line Display Mode: Displays up to 5 lines of text
with spectrum analyzer and clock.

iPod-Like Display mode: Displays iPod/iPhone source
information only.

Spectrum Analyzer: Displays up to 1 line of text with a spectrum
analyzer

Clock Display: Display a 12-hour clock with date (M/D/Y). You can
even set times for two different cities (dual clock display).

Illumination Operation Sync: This function sets whether the head unit's key illumination color is changed in conjunction with the key-button operation.

Illumination Music Sync: This function set whether the head unit's
key illumination color is changed in conjunction with the system's sound &
volume level.

Dimmer: The dimmer function will dim this unit's display
automatically when the vehicle light switch is turned On when you connect
orange/white Illumination wire of this player. You can also choose to dim the
display manually.

Display Illumination/Clock Display: When the unit is in
Standby mode, the face/button illumination is "keyed." In addition, while the
unit is in Standby mode, you can turn the clock display on or off. When the
Clock Display is turned on and the unit is in Standby mode, the Clock Display is
also "keyed." Pressing and holding the source button turns the unit off
completely.

Demo Mode: This unit features a Demo mode which can be
turned "on" or "off" within the menu.

Audio Section

MOSFET Amplifier: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 is equipped with a
MOSFET amplifier. Compared to conventional power supplies, the MOSFET
amplification circuit is smaller and more efficient, and it delivers increased
power with less distortion and absolutely zero on/off switching noise. More
power means louder and cleaner music at higher volumes because you're not
pushing the limits of the amplification circuit. The power output specs for the
KDC-X995 are as follows:

6ch/4V Preamp Outputs: The KDC-X995 features front, rear and
subwoofer 4-volt preamp outputs. The front and rear speaker preamp outputs are
balance and fade adjustable. The subwoofer preamp output is non-fading. The
front, rear, and subwoofer preamp outputs are fixed to the rear chassis of the
head unit.

Note: You can turn the KDC-X995's built-in amplifier off
to improve the quality of the sound from the head unit's preamp outputs.

Front & Rear High-Pass Filter: The KDC-X995 features an
independent High-Pass Crossover for the front & rear channels when your front &
rear speakers are connected by the unit's speaker-outputs or preamp-outputs. You
can adjust the high-pass crossover from "Through", 30, 40, 60, 80, 90 100, 120, 150, 180, 220,
or 250Hz. The "Through" selection is a full-range setting. This feature is
very helpful when you have smaller-type speakers in the front and larger-type
speakers installed in the rear of the vehicle. You can also select the high-pass
crossover slope ( for the front & rear channels.

Low-Pass Filter: The receiver features a built-in Low
Pass Filter control for the unit's subwoofer preamp output. You can select
from 30, 50, 60, 90, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, 250Hz, or "Through". The "Through" setting allows your
external amplifier's crossover network to do all the filtering for your
subwoofer.

Subwoofer Phase: You can adjust the phase of the
subwoofer output between 180-degrees (Reverse) or 0-degrees (Normal).

Subwoofer Level: You can independently control the
subwoofer preamp output level from the CD receiver. You select levels
between -15 to +15.

Rotary Volume Control: The CD receiver uses a 7-way rotary
volume control that increases and decreases the volume of the stereo from 0 to
35. The rotary knob also controls other audio settings such as Balance, Fader,
Bass, Mid, Treble and preset EQ settings. In addition, the rotary knob allows
you to scroll through and select your music tracks when the Music Search
function is activated.

Volume Offset: The level of each source may be independently
adjusted to prevent radical leaps in output volume when switching from one
source to another. The available settings range from -8 to 0.

Supreme+ Setting: When MP3, WMA, and AAC files encoded at a
low bit rate (less than 96 kbps, 44.1k, 48kHz) are played, the Supreme+ Setting
function restores their high frequencies so the sound quality is closer to files
encoded at a high bit rate. The processing is optimized for the compression
format and the bit rate used. When the Supreme+ Setting is Off, the unit plays
the original sound stored in the audio file.

Sound Excellence DSP: In order to optimize the sound
quality, you can use the Sound Excellence DSP to set the type of vehicle and
speaker sizes, locations, distances and x-over points. The DSP settings include
the following:

Digital Time Alignment (DTA): Choose from 0.00 to 14.44
feet for the Front pair of speakers, Rear pair of speakers, and Subwoofer
distances in reference to the distance between your listening positioning
and the locations of the particular speakers.

X'Over: The Kenwood Excelon head unit provides
independent high-pass crossovers for the unit's front and rear
speaker/preamp outputs, as well as a subwoofer low-pass crossover.

Note: You can store equalizer settings for each source (CD, Tuner, Aux, USB,
and iPod/iPHone).

Position Control: For a better sound-stage you can select
your optimal listening position. You can choose from All, Front Left, Front
Right or Front. You can also select to manually fine tune the sound stage by
selecting the distance for each individual speaker in the vehicle compared to
your listening position. You can select between 0.00 to 14.44 feet for the Left
Front Speaker, Right Front Speaker, Left Rear Speaker, Right Rear Speaker, Left
Subwoofer and/or Right Subwoofer.

Bass Boost: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 features a two
level Bass Boost to increase bass levels.

Highway Sound: This features compensates the low volume or
bass sound being lost by road noises to make vocals sound clearer. You can set
the Highway Sound function to 1, 2, 3, or off.

Dual Zone: The Dual Zone mode allows you to output the Main
source and the Auxiliary input separately for the front and rear channels. You
can select whether the auxiliary input will play in the front or the rear. You
can adjust the volume of the rear channels independently from the front channels
(0-35).

Radio Functions

Built-In HD Tuner: With its built-in HD Radio tuner, you can
receive digital AM/FM broadcasts from local stations where available. HD Radio
significantly improves AM/FM audio quality and reception, as well as includes
information such as artist name and song titles or traffic news, viewable on the
receiver's display. HD Radio Technology will deliver high-quality digital sound.
AM digital will have FM-like quality in stereo (70dB SN @ 40-15kHz), while FM
digital will have CD-like quality (70 dB SN @ 20-20kHz) with static free and
clear reception. The unit's built-in HD Radio tuner allows analog AM/FM tuning
as well.

Note: HD Radio is the system for digital AM and FM
broadcasting in the U.S. More than 2,000 radio stations are broadcasting
their primary signals in digital HD Radio technology, as a free service. Go
to HDRadio.com to check for HD Radio stations in your area.

Station Text: AM/FM digital stations can offer text and data
such as artist names and song titles.

Multicasting: Many HD Radio stations also offer more than
one channel of programming. This service is called multicasting.

Tuner Presets: The KDC-X995's tuner lets you store up to 24
AM/FM stations (18 FM, 6 AM). The Kenwood Excelon head unit does not offer front-panel
preset buttons. You will need to access the unit's presets through its menu
system.

Auto Memory Tuning: Not only does the CD receiver's tuner
allow you manually enter your desired presets you can choose to have the unit
automatically put stations with good reception in the memory banks
automatically; this is a handy feature when traveling.

Tuning Modes: You can choose one of three tuning modes: Auto
1 (seek tuning), Auto 2 (cycles through and tunes the selected band's preset
stations only with each button press), or Manual.

Note: You can also setup the KDC-X995 to search only
HD Radio stations.

Direct Tuning: You can tune in a desired AM/FM radio station
directly by entering the frequency number using the included remote control

Satellite Radio Ready: There are several options for
connecting an optional XM or SIRIUS Satellite Radio receiver to this receiver:

SIRIUS Satellite Radio: To receive SIRIUS Satellite
Radio, you can connect the optional SIRIUS Universal Vehicle Tuner and the
optional Kenwood Sirius Satellite Radio Interface (package #
700SIRKENW, sold separately); or you can connect the optional Kenwood
Sirius Satellite Radio Interface and the SiriusConnect vehicle docking kit
(package #
700SIRPKEN, sold separately), along with your compatible SIRIUS Dock &
Play receiver.

Note: A subscription is also required to receive
satellite radio programming from SIRIUS or XM.

Disc Playback

Disc Compatibility: The unit features a single disc player
that will playback CD-Audio, CD-Text, and finalized CD-R/CD-RW audio discs.

MP3/WMA/AAC Playback: The Excelon KDC-X995 can play MP3 (8-320
kbps), WMA (32-192 kbps), and AAC (8-320 kbps) audio files recorded on CD-ROM, CD-R,
and CD-RW discs in ISO9660 Level 1/Level 2, Joliet, Romeo, and Long file name
formats. Each disc should have a maximum of 8 directory levels, 50 folders, and
255 files per folder with a maximum of 512 files and folders. During MP3/WMA/AAC
playback, the unit displays recorded ID3 Tag (ver. 1.x/2.x) information.
The head unit will display up to 60 characters.

Text Scroll: The Excelon KDC-X995 will display CD text or Audio
file text. You can set the text scrolling feature to two different modes (Auto
or Manual) to scroll longer titles across the screen.

Music Search: The Kenwood AM/FM CD receiver features a Music
Search feature which allows you to scroll through and select your MP3/WMA/AAC
music folders and files, as well as scroll through your audio CD's music tracks
using the head unit's rotary knob.

Direct Music Search: The supplied IR wireless remote control
(RC-405) allows you to search for music directly by entering the track number.

High Speed Search: This function allows you to continuously
scroll up or down your disc's track list at high speed.

Playback Modes: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 features the
following Repeat, Random, and Scan playback modes.

Repeat Play: Track, File, or Folder

Random Play: Disc or Folder

Scan Play: Track or File (plays the first 10-seconds of
each music track on a disc or music file in a folder)

Last Position Memory: If the unit is shut off or switched to
the tuner mode while a CD is playing, the next time CD is selected as the
source, playback will resume from the point where it left off.

CD Read: This function sets the method for reading a CD
disc. You can choose between two modes.

CD1: Automatically distinguishes between audio file
disc and music CD when playing a CD, CD-R/RW disc.

CD2: When unable to play a special formatted CD, set
this function to CD2 to force playing. Some music CD discs may be
unplayable even when set to this mode.

Off Insert/Eject: A CD disc can be inserted or ejected with
the power off. When a disc is inserted with the power off, the unit will
automatically power up and begin playback.

Auto Insert: The CD player will automatically reinsert the disc if
it's ejected, but not removed for 20 seconds or more.

USB/iPod/Aux Connectivity

USB Port: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 features a rear-panel
USB (1.1/2.0) type-A port that is attached to unit's rear-chassis via a 34"
pigtail. The USB port enables connection and control of a portable USB
mass-storage class device with MP3 (8-320 kbps), WMA (32-192 kbps), and AAC
(8-320 kbps) music files. The USB port is compatible with all USB mass storage
class devices that support the FAT16 or FAT32 file system. Your USB device
should only have a maximum of 8 directory levels, 255 folders, and 255 files per
folder with a maximum of 65,025 files and folders. During MP3/WMA/AAC playback,
the unit displays recorded ID3 Tag (ver. 1.x/2.x) information. The head unit
will display up to 60 characters. The KDC-X995 will also charge your connected
USB device's battery, when the head unit is powered up.

Note: You cannot connect a USB device via a USB hub or
Multi-Card Reader to this unit.

iPod/iPhone Direct Connection: The Excelon KDC-X995's
rear-panel USB port also acts as an iPod/iPhone high-speed direct connection
when used with the optional Kenwood USB Direct Connection Cable (113KCIP102,
sold separately) or the USB/iPod cable that comes with your iPod/iPhone. Using
either cable allows audio playback, music navigation, information display, and
charging of select iPod/iPhone models from the KDC-X995.

iPod/iPhone Audio Playback: The USB connection allows your
iPod/iPhone's large music libraries to be loaded instantly to the head unit and
sound quality to be maximized through the head unit's 24-bit D/A converter,
allowing for a Signal to Noise ratio up to 110dB. The Kenwood head unit supports
audio playback of music files and podcasts stored on your iPod or iPhone.

iPod/iPhone Control: You can choose to control the
iPod/iPhone from the head unit or from your iPod/iPhone's clickwheel or
touchscreen.

Music Browsing: The Kenwood head unit allows you to
navigate your iPod's music by Playlist, Artists, Album, Genre, Composer,
Song, or Podcast. You can then search these categories alphabetically or using a
percentage search (0.5%, 1%, 5%, 10%).

High Speed Search: This function lets you scroll a group of
tracks from the selected categories track list quickly.

Playlists: You can create your own custom iPod/iPhone
playlist (up to 10 songs) from the head unit.

Related Search: You can browse for music of the same artist or
genre as the one being currently played. You can select between the
following Related Search modes.

Search Artist: displays albums of the same artist

Search Album: display music in the album in which the one being
played is included

Search Genre: displays artists of the same genre

Search Composter: displays albums including music created by the
same composer

iPod/iPhone Display: The Excelon KDC-X995 will display your
iPod/iPhone's music file information when you are controlling your iPod or
iPhone from the Kenwood head unit. The head unit will display Track number,
Elapsed playing time, Artist name, Song title, and Album label. If you choose to
operate your connected iPod/iPhone via its clickwheel or touchscreen controls,
the KDC-X995 will not display your iPod/iPhone's music information (the head unit
will instead display iPod MODE).

iTunes Tagging: Using the head unit's iTunes Tagging enabled
HD Radio, you can tag your HD music while listening to the radio with your
iPod/iPhone connected. When you hear a song you enjoy on your local HD Radio
station, you only have to press the head unit's "HD" button" and the song's
information will be saved to your connected iPod/iPhone. The saved songs will
then show up in a playlist called "Tagged" in iTunes the very next time you sync
your iPod to your PC. Then you just need to click, buy, and download the song
you tagged directly from the Apple iTunes Music Store. This unit can store up to
50 Tags.

Pandora App: The Pandora App (free) lets you play music from
the Pandora music service through the Kenwood KDC-X995 using your connected
Apple iPhone, via the Kenwood KCA-iP102 USB/iPod connector cable (sold
separately), or the USB/Dock cable supplied with your iPhone. The Kenwood
KDC-X995 provides control over the Pandora music service and displays Artist,
Album, and Song information. You can search for new Pandora stations, select Pandora stations from your station
list, and skip song tracks within a station. You can also give songs a thumbs
up/down and bookmark songs/artists. To access Pandora you must have an Apple
iPhone (iOS3 or later) with the latest version of the Pandora application from
Apple's iTunes App Store. Your iPhone will need an active Data Plan account with
connection to the Internet via 3G, EDGE, or WiFi. You will also need a Pandora
music service account.

Note: Access to the Pandora service will depend on the
availability of a cellular and/or WiFi network for purposes of allowing your
iPhone to connect to the Internet. Pandora is not supported in Canada and
only available in the United States.

iPod/iPhone Charging: While connected and the ignition
switch is set to ACC or ON, the head unit's USB connection will power and charge
your iPod/iPhone.

Note: If your iPod/iPhone has no initial battery charge,
then the unit will not recognize it.

iPod/iPhone Compatibility Chart: The Kenwood KDC-X995 is
"Made for iPod/iPhone" compatible and supports the following iPod/iPhone model
features (as of November 2011):

iPod/iPhone Model

Generation

Tested Version

Media Type

Control Type

Display Type

iTunes Tagging

Pandora App

Charge

Audio

Video

Head Unit

iPod/iPhone

Song/Artist Text

Track Info

dock connector

3rd

N/A

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

clickwheel
color

4th

N/A

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

mini

1st

N/A

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

2nd

N/A

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

N

video

5th

1.3

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

N

N

Y

classic

80GB

1.1.2

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

120GB

2.0.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

160GB

2.0.4

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

nano

1st

1.3.1

Y

N

Y

N

Y

Y

N

N

Y

2nd

1.1.3

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Y

3rd

1.1.3

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

4th

1.0.4

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

5th

1.0.2

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

6th

1.1 PC

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

touch

1st

2.2.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

2nd

4.2.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

3rd

5.0.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

4th

5.0.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

iPhone

2G

3.1.3

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

3G

4.2.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

3GS

4.3.5

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

4

5.0.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

4S

5.0.1

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Note: Apple iPod/iPhone software updates may
change functionality results. If you download a newer software
version, you may need to reset the head unit and your iPod/iPhone to
regain functionality. If this doesn't work, you may need to revert
to the older software version or wait until a newer software update
is available.

Aux In: The unit is equipped with a rear-panel 3.5mm
minijack auxiliary input that can be used to input audio from a portable audio
source, such as a portable MP3 player. The Excelon KDC-X995 allows you to select the
source type displayed when using the auxiliary input. You can choose from AUX,
DVD, Portable, Game, Video, or TV. The Aux input must be turned on to
function. The unit has 3 auxiliary input modes.

On1: Outputs the sound of the external unit connected
to the Aux terminal when switched to the Aux source.

On2: Activates the attenuator function when turning on
the power with the auxiliary source selected. This prevents the noise when
no external unit is connected to the Aux terminal. Turn off the attenuator
function when listening to output from an external unit.

Off: Disables the selection of the Aux source.

Rear Auxiliary Input "Ready": The unit already features a
rear-panel auxiliary input, but if you need a second auxiliary input, one can
be added to the rear of the unit. When used with an optional adapter, this unit
can accept a rear input from an auxiliary source. When the CA-C1AUX adapter (113CAC1AX,
sold separately) is used, you cannot connect the optional Sirius Satellite Radio
tuner to the head unit because the adapter plugs into the DIN changer control
connection on the head unit.

Built-in Bluetooth

Bluetooth Technology: Bluetooth is a two-way wireless
communication system allowing you to make and receive cell phone calls
wirelessly from your mobile phone, using the Kenwood in-dash CD receiver.
Bluetooth wireless technology operates on a 2.4GHZ frequency band within a range
of approximately 10 meters (about 33 feet).

Bluetooth Hands-Free Communication: The head unit supports
Bluetooth hands-free communication for your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. The
controls of the KDC-X995 can be used to dial a number, answer an in-coming call,
or end a call. The unit also includes an external microphone (with mounting
bracket) featuring adjustable gain, so you can carry on your side of the
conversation while listening to the caller through your vehicles speakers.

Pairing: Your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone must be paired
with the KDC-X995 before hands-free operation. You can register up to five
Bluetooth enabled cell-phones with the Kenwood Excelon head unit (only one paired
phone can be used at a time).

Auto Answer: The KDC-X995 can be setup to automatically
answer an incoming call. You can have the head unit automatically answer a call
immediately or after 1-99 seconds.

Dialing: Using the KDC-X995, you can dial a phone number in
one of the following ways:

Entering a Phone Number: Allows you to directly dial a
phone number up to 25 digits from the head unit's control knob or remote
control.

Speed (Preset) Dialing: Allows you to register up to 6
phone numbers for quick dialing. The preset numbers can be accessed from the
head unit's Control Knob.

Phone Book: You can dial by using the downloaded phone
book. You can download phone book data from your cell phone to the KDC-X995.
Up to 1000 numbers can be stored for each registered cell phone. Each number
can be up to 25 digits long and each name can be up to 50 characters long.
Stored phone numbers can be categorized by General, Home, Office, Mobile, or
Other. You can search each category of the phone book in alphabetical order.

Call Log: The Call Log is a list of calls that have
originated from and were received by this unit that you can dial. You can
select Outgoing, Incoming, or Missed calls.

Voice Dialing: If your mobile phone supports voice
recognition, then you can dial out by voice command. Simply speak into the
included microphone. You can register up to 35 voice tags.

Call Waiting: The KDC-X995 supports the Call Waiting
function, so you can answer another incoming call while suspending the current
call you are on. Your compatible cell-phone must also support this feature.

SMS: You can wirelessly download the short message (SMS)
arrived at your cell-phone so that is can be read on the Bluetooth connected
Kenwood head unit. Your cell-phone must support SMS for this feature to function.
The SMS downloaded to this unit is cleared when this unit is turned off.

Note: You cannot send text messages using this unit
(read only).

Private/Hands-Free Mode: During a conversation, you can
switch between the Private Mode (talking directly on your cell phone) and the
Hands Free Mode.

External Microphone: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995 includes
an external microphone to carry on your side of your phone conversation and
voice command dialing. The external wired microphone offers improved audio
quality versus an integrated microphone, so you can be heard easier over noisy
traffic and road noise. The external microphone features an attached 10' cable
terminated by a right-angle 3.5mm connector which plugs into the mic input on
the rear-panel of the head unit. The microphone offers an integrated mounting
bracket which can be clipped to your vehicle's sun-visor or taped to your dash.
The external microphone measures 0.515" (diameter) x 1.485" (depth).

Note: This unit does not offer an integrated front-panel
microphone.

Bluetooth Detailed Settings: The KDC-X995 offers the
following Bluetooth Detailed Settings, so you can configure the unit to suit
your needs.

Call Beep: You can choose to output a beep from your
vehicle's speaker's when a call comes in, or you can turn this function off.

Speaker Output: You can select whether the call beep
and caller's voice is heard through only the front speakers or all speakers.

Mic Gain: Adjusts the volume of the external microphone
from -3 to +3.

NR Level: Reduces the noises generated by the
surrounding environment without changing the mic volume. The NR Level can be
set to -2 or +2.

EC Level: Adjusts the level of echo cancellation from
-2 to +2.

Remote Control

Wireless Remote Control: The Excelon KDC-X995 comes with an
IR remote control (RC-405) for wireless operation of the head unit. The remote
will control Audio, CD, USB, and Tuner functions. It is powered by a single
CR2025 3V lithium-cell battery (supplied).

Numeric Keypad: The wireless remote control features a
numeric keypad (0-9) which allows direct track access of your music tracks &
files (from CD or USB), as well as AM/FM presets.

Attenuator: The CD receiver features an Attenuator
button on the supplied remote control that turns the volume down very
quickly with one touch of the button.

Steering Wheel Remote Compatibility: The head unit also
features an OEM steering wheel remote control input wire (blue/yellow) within
the included wiring harness that lets you keep your vehicle's factory radio
steering wheel remote controls when used with the optional PAC SWI-RC Steering
Wheel Control Interface Adapter (541SWIRC,
sold separately); or the optional Metra ASWC Steering Wheel Control Interface
Adapter (120ASWC,
sold separately).

Optional Software

Music Editor Compatible: The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X995
supports the PC application, Kenwood Music Editor Lite (ver.1.1). Kenwood Music
Editor Lite is a Windows-based desktop software that helps organize, manage and
transfer MP3 and WMA music files to your USB devices from your PC. When you
playback audio files that have been stored on your USB device using Kenwood
Music Editor Lite through this unit, you can search a file by title, album, or
artist name using the head unit's Music Search function.

System Requirements: The Kenwood Music Editor Light
(ver.1.1) Windows-based software can be downloaded for free from Kenwood.com to
your PC. The Kenwood Music Editor Light is compatible with the following Windows
Microsoft Operating Systems.

Windows XP Professional, Home Edition SP2 or later (32-bit)

Windows Vista (32/64-bit)

Windows 7 (32/64-bit)

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